It’s the school holidays and time for a welcome break for your child from school (and for you from home-based learning). But even if you have decided to let your child ease off on the homework and revision for a bit, the extra time you are spending with him or her this month offers plenty of opportunities for a different kind of learning.
In fact, the learning we’re talking about could prove even more useful over the long run than what your child is currently being taught in the classroom. That’s right — we are referring to the imparting of important life skills that every child needs to excel in the classroom and succeed in life.
At The Learning Lab, we firmly believe that our students need both knowledge and skills to thrive, and we tailor our pedagogy accordingly. Here are 5 key skills that we place a premium on, and that you and your child can work on together during the holidays.
1) Resilience
Resilience, or the ability to bounce back from failure and thrive amidst adversity is one of the most important skills that every child — and every adult — should possess.
It is also one of the hardest to teach. But although there is no substitute teacher for lived experience, parents can still put their children in the best position to succeed. The first step is to familiarise your child with the concept of resilience by giving examples he or she can easily understand.
For example, our Early Years teachers show students the meaning of resilience by giving them a roly-poly toy and asking them to hit it until it stays down. Of course, the toy bounces right back, as you can see in the video below.
For older children, you might want to ask them to think back to a recent disappointment or setback, and get them to reflect on how they feel about that now. Are they still discouraged, or have they been avoiding thinking about it? Help restore your child’s confidence, and then get them started on concrete steps to climb back up.
2) Emotional regulation
The ability to regulate one’s emotions is another vital life skill, and goes hand-in-hand with resilience.
When things aren’t going well or the way he or she wants, your child needs to learn how to keep his or her emotions in check instead of throwing an almighty temper tantrum. As the parent, you have the most important role to play in setting standards and enforcing them.
A tearful meltdown from your young one may tug at your heartstrings now, but if allowed to become a habit will impress no one as your child gets older.
An important distinction you should make for your child is the difference between feeling disappointed, which is only natural, and lashing out based on that feeling, which should not happen. Take the opportunity during these holidays to zone in on your child’s behaviour during tense situations and apply a firm hand.
3) Empathy and social skills
One way to explain to children why temper tantrums are a no-go is to draw their focus away from themselves and to get them to think of how their actions affect other people around them.
Doing so involves the application of empathy, or learning how to get along with others, and is part and parcel of acquiring basic social skills that will eventually underpin your child’s integration into society as an adult.
Human beings are social creatures, and there is just no getting away from getting along, regardless of the career or ambition your child pursues as an adult.
For younger children, the holidays are a good time to organise play dates with their friends (or your friends and their children) so you can observe how he or she behaves in a controlled social setting.
Our TLL classes are also controlled social settings. So even if your child has outgrown play dates there’s nothing to worry about — simply check in with our teachers who will be happy to update you on your child’s socialisation in class.
4) Spirit of inquiry
Fostering a spirit of inquiry in children is one of the most satisfying things a parent or teacher can do, and also one of the most important.
A child who has developed a spirit of inquiry is not only excited to ask questions, but is also able to ask the right questions on the way to figuring out how things work. In its mature form, a spirit of inquiry is a skill highly sought after by employers who want workers who are motivated, independent and adaptable.
For now, encourage your child to explore the world around them, to push at the boundaries just a little bit more than they normally would. The time spent away from the textbooks during the holidays could be used to open up new frontiers of knowledge.
5) Critical thinking
A child venturing forth with a spirit of inquiry is quite naturally led on to think critically as well.
For young minds such as your child’s, critical thinking also plays a pivotal role in building the capacity to communicate more clearly and make independent assessments, both of which are important skills to possess in adult life.
Thinking critically means approaching a subject or topic with an open mind, instead of slavishly following whatever the textbook or teacher says. It is a skill best developed when young so it becomes a habit, which is why we place such a strong emphasis on it for our students.
We have found that the process of enhancing our students’ critical thinking skills works best when we throw the ball of learning back into their court. For example, our teachers encourage students to speak up in class and share their opinions in a clear and concise manner. Class discussions are a regular occurrence so that students are able to learn from each other as well.
Rather than telling our students what to think, we prefer to engage them with questions that encourage them to arrive at their own conclusions independently. You can do the same for your child at home as well by asking them these 5 questions.
6) Time Management
Time management is a useful life skill to have.
As children grow older, they will have to learn to become more independent and to handle their own tasks and time.
For most students, managing school work alongside after-school activities can be challenging. Between co-curricular activities, homework, revision and rest, there seems to be a lot to do in the short hours after school.
When your child is able to manage his or her time wisely, he or she will feel in control of his or her life. In addition to that, by practising good timekeeping, your child can have a clear idea of which tasks need his or her attention and action and how to prioritise that list for optimal productivity. Your child will be able to accomplish tasks in shorter periods of time, which then allows him or her to complete more tasks or free up additional time for other activities.
Time management is important, but frankly, it sounds like such a serious and boring word to a child. The word “time management” does not appeal to children and they may not be interested in learning something that may come across seemingly rigid and inflexible.
A fun way of introducing time management to your child and getting him or her into the habit of establishing personal routines is through an activity chart which sounds more fun and positive.
In this activity chart, you can use colour codes and stickers to mark timeframes. For example, blue for study time, green for household chores, yellow for playtime, and so forth.
When your child is done with a particular activity, you can paste a cute sticker over the colour coded bar, which can give him or her a sense of pride and fulfillment.
Be sure to cut down on screen time and reduce the use of digital devices, which often leads to distractions and demotivation.
To learn more about how you can teach your child effective time management, click here to read our 3-step guide.
The Right Time and Place for Learning
Learning never needs to stop, and the June holidays could be the perfect time for your child to pick up some important life skills.
If you are looking for something more structured, we have just the thing as well. With our range of online programmes, your child can stay on track with their learning progress, participate in intellectually stimulating activities in our virtual classrooms and hone important life skills along the way.
At The Learning Lab, we believe in a holistic approach that helps our students build mastery of academic knowledge and make a habit of vital life skills that will stand them in good stead for the long run.
Click here to find out more about how we can impart many important lifelong lessons to your child from the comforts of your home.
The Learning Lab is now at 9 locations. Find a location that suits your needs.
If you have any questions about our range of programmes or class schedules, you may contact us at 6733 8711 or drop us an email at enquiry@thelearninglab.com.sg.
The Learning Lab is now at 9 locations. Find a location that suits your needs.
If you have any questions about our range of programmes or class schedules, you may fill in the form below or contact us at 6733 8711 / enquiry@thelearninglab.com.sg.